Fairy Tales Twist Back to Truth
by Dark Epiphany's Embrace
Summary: Every tale has a hint of truth. Some more than others. The same is true for Fairy Tales. When a discraced Severus Snape accidentally gives Hermione one of her previous lives back, she easily slides into the role of the mistress of mirrors. C profile 4 sum
1. Prologue: Once Upon a Time

Prologue: Once Upon a Time

Queen Perin stood at the window at the top of the tallest tower in her ancient castle, looking out over the kingdom that had once been hers, longing for the days when she was still Lady Raven to return. But her vanity would not allow her to take to the wing and fly away. She could see quite far and the sun set was almost capable of deceiving her into believing the land was a flame with more than just a revolt.

Magic was being tamed far too much. People were using it rather than simply becoming part of it. She could see what would come of such a practice. Magic would flee from humans, blossoming in only a few. And those few would retreat from most of the world and take it upon themselves to regulate all the world magic even though they had no right to it. Then they would become prejudice against those without magic and those born from the ones without magic. Many pointless wars would be fought from it. But worst of all they would forget their origins, and she would become nothing more than a story, a fable.

After all she had done for this world it was shrugging her off. She had shown them that magic was to be embraced not feared. She had ruled kindly with her husband. True she had gotten to be the Kings wife by rather unscrupulous means, but they had come to love each other over the years. They had two children. A beautiful girl, who she had to kill out of love and kindness, and a handsome boy who was now a handsome man. She had sent him away to another country now, to make his way in the world that was coming. And her husband? He died of old age some twelve years ago, she had never remarried.

Sighing and shaking her head she turned from the window, knowing that she would most likely be dead within the week. Her eyes landed on the glorious mirror that stood in the centre of the dimly lit room. As Lady Raven she had been called insane because of her many mirrors, but as she used them to gain the power she had craved she had become feared and admired for them. But this one that shared the small circular stone room with her now was her favourite. It stood taller than herself, which admittedly was not difficult, but it towered over her. Almost reaching the ceiling. It's frame was elaborately crafted tarnished silver. The mirror itself was dull and seemed to be covered in dust.

"Beautiful mirror, grand and tall, will I stand or from grace fall?" The only problem with it was that she had to ask her questions in rhyme. At times it was fun, but now she simply needed answers. The mirror cleared instantly. It did not reflect the room she was in, instead there was a library bathed in golden light and warmly furnished with rich reds and other earthy colours. On the other side of the looking glass was an attractive middle aged man dressed in casual hunting leathers, his chestnut hair carefully oiled back out of his way. His eyes were the deepest blue and seemed to hold more wisdom and knowledge than the library he stood in. He smiled at her softly.

"You know as well as I that you will meet your end before this week is out," he said softly. "But what you really want to know is if you will be remembered." She held her breath without realising it. "And you won't. Not in anything other than a children's story. And hardly even then. It will be distorted. Your name will be lost to time and you will be portrayed as an evil witch Queen who murdered her step daughter out of envy for her beauty. But what will become of Lady Raven?" He bowed his head in mourning as the Queen let out the breath she had held. "She will be lost forever, appearing not even in dreams." Her shoulders fell and her head bowed.

"I thought I might become a fable. Just another once upon a time." Then after a heavy sigh she looked back to her old friend. "Will my son live?"

"To tap into this knowledge of mine, you must ask your question in a rhyme." Rolling her eyes she thought of an appropriate limerick.

"Before my soul leaves to rest, tell me will my son survive long his quest?"

"From what I can tell he will become a merchant, a very successful one and live to a good age. He will have only one child but his line will live strong until you make your return to the world as yourself. After that I'm not sure what will happen. There are too many variables." She clenched her jaw together to stop herself from asking a question in haste, even though she longed to.

"For this knowledge I do yearn, to this land when will I return?" There was a long pause, during which her friend in the mirror closed his eyes in concentration.

"The date escapes me, but it is some thousands of years yet. You will be born many times, but when the world is ruled by humans and nature has almost no say you will be called back to us, your mirrors, to put the world right again and take your rightful place as Queen, as is your destiny. For your soul will never find peace until the land and ocean again hold dominance over its children. The natural order must be restored. And you will be the one to do it."

"I wish to ask this as a friend, will I ever reach this end?" He looked to her sadly before giving her the answer.

"I can't see or say. I am involved in that fate so it is blocked from me."

The image faded from the mirror, leaving only her dim reflection. The Queen smiled slightly at her appearance. She was almost seventy but she looked to be twenty five. Her skin was smooth and pale, her figure was still well toned, slim and curved, despite bearing two children and her lips were still blood red and full. Her raven black hair, the origins of her name, Lady Raven, was long but pinned into an elegant bun and her eyes were the most incredible shade of emerald green. Her black velvetdress hugged her frame in all the right places and became loose at her legs, leaving something at least to the imagination and giving her freedom to move. Her bust defiantly could not be described as modest, yet it was still firm regardless of her age. Her facial features were regal, well defined and often described as enchanting, with her high cheek bones but soft and feminine appearance.

The crown atop her head was delicate, solid gold with silver trimmings and many jewels of many colours. The collar of her dress was raised and arched around the back of her head. It was one of her simplest but it still let her intimidating stature shine through. This was not a woman to cross. She was ruthless and reveled in that simple fact. But she was also fair. The punishment would always fit the crime.

With a heavy sigh she turned away and set off for the door, mumbling what she thought her story would be. "Once upon a time there was an evil but powerful witch Queen. But despite all of her power and beauty she was very vain. She had a magical mirror that she kept hidden from the world. And every day she would stand before the mirror and say _mirror mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?" _She closed the door behind her on her way and did not hear the forlorn reply of her mirror and friend who loved her oh so dearly.

"You are my Queen, my love. And you always will be. No matter what form you will take in your future lives."


	2. Chapter 1: There Lived a Lonely Man

Chapter One: There Lived a Lonely Man

Hermione sat on a slight hill not that far away from the Burrow. It had been three years since she left Hogwarts. She had been the only one to actually go back for her seventh year out of her friends, but she was glad she had. Her unrestricted access to the restricted section had proved to be very useful. She had used the time to not only study for her NEWTs, but to cram in as much as she could about defensive and offensive spells that she could learn in very few other places and when she had left Hogwarts the war did not seem quite so daunting. She felt almost ready to face what she knew was coming.

She had immediately requested to join the Order of the Phoenix and been harshly tested, in regards to her loyalty and her usefulness. She had become resentful after the testing. Not because of the harsh testing of her skills with a wand which she had easily passed, but for the test of her loyalty. At first she had been offended that they would wish to ensure she was not a traitor, she is a muggleborn for Merlins' sake! Then during the testing, an amateur Legimens that still needed to use their wand, she had had to sit and patiently wait as the idiot raked through her mind with all the finesse of a drunken elephant. Not only that but she found it insultingly easy to hide every thing that might be considered suspect, such as her rather heavy experimentation with the Dark Arts and the fact that she had been sleeping with Draco Malfoy for the vast majority of her fifth and sixth years. Those had not been the only things she had hidden, but they were the things that most likely would have booked her a place in Azkaban. She was still resentful of it now, but she had more important things to worry about.

Like staying alive long enough to be a real nuisance to Voldemort. Because Harry certainly was not any form of threat to the overly egotistical wizard. He was sloppy and unskilled to put it bluntly, and he still seemed to think of this as game despite all that he had lost to the wars.

She heard a crack and within a second she was on her feet. Her wand out and pointing at the wizard who had just apperated. But it slowly lowered as she saw the state he was in. His clothes were torn and dripping with blood. Using her animagus senses she knew it was his blood. Dipping into her Legimens ability just enough to get a feel for his mind, she realised that he was in not fit state to do any form of damage. His mind was close to being broken and his body was weak. Cautiously she approached him as he swayed on his feet, looking at her with a sort of humble relief.

When she was a little closer she realised who it was with a gasp. Severus Snape! Her old instincts towards him kicked in and she ran to him. Reaching his side just in time as he collapsed. She grabbed him as he fell and he grasped onto her as though his very life or more depended on it. His dazed dark eyes stared at her in confused disbelief as she gently lowered him to the ground. "Lady," he coughed, spotting her robes with his blood. "Lady Raven." What was he talking about? "I didn't tell him. He doesn't know where your mirror of Erised is. It's safe." He coughed again, struggling to hold onto consciousness. "Did I do well my Lady?" He asked, trying to sound dignified, but simply sounding both exhausted and insane. She did not know what else to do so she humoured him.

"You did very well, now I need you try and stay awake for a little while longer."

Four hours later she had sacrificed her bed to him and had somehow, she still was not quite sure how, managed to convince the Order not to simply do away with him. She had probably said something along the lines of "he might have vital information we can use". But however she had done it she was now stuck being his carer.

A quick spell had banished the blood and a few more had stopped it from flowing. He was restrained of course, tied to the bed with padded leather straps that let him move a little, but not much. He had been a wreck. He still was. She had managed to repair all the physical damage, with the exception of a fever that was making him delirious and the after effects of a savage amount of the Cruciatious curse. But even when the fever was gone she doubted he would be entirely sane.

To her it was easy to see that he had done something to betray Voldemort, probably refusing to hand over the mirror of Erised as he had said to her out on the lawn, simply by the severity of his condition. Only Voldemort would resort to such harsh measures to get to the answers he wanted. She had found high levels of vertirisim in his blood as well. But it was common knowledge that potions Masters had a high tolerance for it simply because of the amount they inhaled when they brewed it. Not to mention they knew all the tricks for getting around such a potion. There were other things wrong with him as well. But she would need to know what curses he had suffered to be able to do anything about those particular problems. Unfortunately he was in no fit shape to tell her, so she would have to plunge into his mind, and she knew that he guarded his mind above all else. She was the same. She had never felt more violated than when that amateur had picked away at her thoughts.

Hermione walked to his side, he had been unconscious for a while now and she had never seen him look more vulnerable. Gone was the menacing potions Master of the Dungeons. In his place was a broken man, a man who could be easily harmed. But she knew getting into his head would still be exceptionally difficult. One thing she had noticed, whenever he was awake he called her Lady Raven and followed her every command. It was bizarre to say the least, especially considering the fact that one of her three animal forms, and by far her favourite, was a raven. Though how he could have known that she had no idea.

"Why are you doing this?" It was Ginny. She didn't bother to turn around. She knew she would see a boyish red head with pale skin and freckles. And she knew that she would be looking at her with mild disgust.

"Because I would quite like to know why Voldemort pulled out all the stops when torturing him," Hermione answered coldly. "Speaking of which, will you keep a watch while I find out exactly what he's had done to him?" There was a slight pause before she received her answer.

"Sure, the faster you get him healed the faster we can get rid of the bastard."

Rolling her eyes, Hermione gently ran her fingers down the side of his face, sending slight magical sparks into his skin to help him wake. "Wake up Severus, it's Lady Raven."

"Lady Raven?" Ginny asked as Severus slowly opened his eyes and looked to her with the slightest of smiles.

"That's what he keeps calling me. He's just a little mad I think."

"My Lady," he mumbled groggily, then tried to move only to find he was held down. Frowning he looked to her in confusion.

"It's for your own safety, I'm sorry," though in all honesty she wasn't. "I need to know what happened to you. I'm going to have to use a spell to look into your mind." His eyes widened in horror at her statement. "It's okay, I'll only look at what happened to hurt you this bad. I wont look at anything else unless you want to show meanything else." He stared at her for a long time, long enough for the resident Legimens to come into the room, Ron. Then he nodded.

"There are some things I should show you Lady Raven. Things you need to see that I won't be able to explain properly."

"Hermione, don't you dare!" She rolled her eyes again. "I'm meant to do that! Why won't you let me?"

She turned to him in irritation, he had started to grate on her nerves after Hogwarts, ever more so since he raped her mind. At least with Snape she had his consent and cooperation.

"Because, Ron, you have all the skill of a tea cup, and all the subtlety of a cricket bat to the face! Now if you excuse me, I'm going to show you how you should scan someone's mind." And with that she turned back to the once imposing man who lay tied to the bed.

She heard angry calls as she climbed onto the bed and straddled Snapes hips, but she ignored them. Besides, from the smug smirk that had just graced his face it didn't look like Snape was about to complain. She leaned forward, gently cupping his face, to prevent him from looking away and rested her forehead against his, with her nose to the side of his because it was to big to let her reach his forehead properly. She was practically lying on him as she stared into his almost black eyes. Their breathing slowed simultaneously and she felt herself falling, she let herself fall. But it was a controlled fall. Actually, it was more like being pulled further underwater, only without loosing the ability to breathe.

Finally she could see how it started. And what she watched horrified her.

* * *

A/N Thank you to the two people who reviewed, I look forward to hearing more.


	3. Chapter 2: And He Became a Knight

Chapter Two: And He Became a Knight

Severus stared at the large mirror. He had grown up with it there and now at the age of seven his mother had finally let him look into the glass. But he didn't see anything. He was almost disappointed; he knew his father saw something there. He would stand and stare at it for hours, ignoring his son, ignoring his wife. He was addicted to it and that simple fact caused disgust to flood through the small boy.

The mirrors surface was black and glimmering like a twisting void, the frame was elaborately gilded and engraved with words he could not read. And it was enormous. He stared up to the top with childish wonder. He almost could not believe that it had to be leaned back to fit in the room. He was starting to learn about it and where it came from. That was something else he could hardly believe. It was like a fairy tale from one of the books his mother used to read him before he proclaimed himself to be too old for bed time stories.

There was supposed to be a lady that lived in the mirror, but his mother had not told him much about her. She had said that he had to get to know her on his own.

Bravely the young boy took a step closer to the enchanted mirror and quickly tapped on it than ripped his hand away. After being told just how dangerous this mirror was on many occasions, and seeing it first hand with his waste of space muggleborn father, he wasn't about to let it do anything to him.

"Hello? Are you there lady?" Feminine chuckling answered his steady query. Then the void changed.

First to appear was a natural spring, simple and pure in its beauty. Severus had only ever seen pictures of places like this, but to see one that was almost real was breath taking. Then she appeared. And she was as enchanting to the boy as the mirror was to those not of his blood line. Her hair was fire red, her skin like snow and her lips like blood. She looked to him with watery blue eyes as she sat on the stone lip of the spring, dressed in light but old fashioned finery, like a princess from a fairy tale.

"Hello little one," she said smoothly, the embodiment of a mother. "What's your name?"

"Severus, but all my friends call me Sev," he answered politely, not mentioning that he only had one friend. "What's yours?" She smiled at him softly, not seeming dangerous at all, but he knew that appearances were deceiving.

"I am Erised, but you can call me Eri if you let me call you Sev." Was she offering to be his friend? Well, whether she was or not Severus nodded at her causing her smile to widen a little and she swept back a wisp of her fiery hair. "Put your hand against the glass Sev."

"Why?" he asked warily. His mother had not told him anything about this.

"Because I need you to. I can feel My Lady Raven is to return soon and you need to be able to recognise her."

"How soon?" He asked, not sure if he could trust this lady in the mirror.

"She will be born in ten to twelve years." Severus frowned.

"That's ages away! Not soon." She smiled at him, a caring motherly smile.

"True, it is not soon to one so young as yourself. But I'm ancient, thousands of years old. So to me ten years is not so long, and I need you to be ready for her." She tilted her head to the side and an imploring hint entered her eyes. "So, will you lay your hand against the mirror for me? Please?"

Severus frowned and looked to the floor in indecision. The mirror was dangerous. That was what he had been told for as long as he could remember. But this lady, Eri, seemed really nice. And she definitely seemed like she wasn't lying about needing his help. This was hard. She only wanted him to put his hand on the mirror. That could not be too bad. Could it?

He took a deep breath, almost not believing what he was doing. This disregarded every lesson he had ever received about this mirror.

His hand was on the cool, smooth glass.

Heat rushed through him. His limbs tingled. Images flashed through his mind. People, places, creatures. Savage beasts and beautiful sirens. Kings and peasants. Queens and hags. Then, finally.

Lady Raven.

Dark. Enchanting. Her eyes gleaming with power and intelligence as she rapidly changed. Grew from a girl that looked about ten into a woman of twenty five.

Loyalty found its place in his heart and he knew, without even meeting her, that he would die for his Queen. For his Lady Raven.

* * *

At age seventeen and in his last year of Hogwarts Severus furiously paced the office of Albus Dumbledore. Where was the old fool! So much for his invitation of "my office is open to anyone who needs to unburden their heart". Though to be honest his heart was quite free of burden. He just needed to protect Eri.

With a sigh he looked out of the window, absently scratching at the burning mark on his left forearm. Had he not been so gifted at oclumency Voldemort would have taken his only friend from him and that would not bode well for anyone. The mirror was a potent source of power, but only Lady Raven was worthy of it. Though Eri had lent him a small part of her strength a couple of times, but those times had been of dire need. Not to mention that if anyone tried to tap into, or use that power without her permission it caused her pain far beyond that of Crucio. And he should know, he had suffered that particular curse and he was linked to the mirror in such a way that her pain became his.

He heard the door open behind him and felt the headmaster approach him. With his Legimency he had gotten to know the presence of most people by the subtle change of magic in the air that they invoked. "I have a proposition for you," Severus said proudly without turning around to look at the old man.

"Severus, what have you done?" Smirking the young man turned around, rolling up his sleeve.

"I have quite the talent for guarding my mind against intruders, along with a considerable lack of conscience. Both of which are very useful for betraying certain irritating alliances." Finally a black skull with a snake spewing from its mouth was fully visible, writhing on his forearm. The old man clenched his fists so hard that they were shaking. "Now I'm in a position where my only loyalty is to my family duty, and the best way to serve that duty is to become a spy for your side, not to mention having the full cooperation of the youngest potions Master in the world would obviously be quite beneficial. All I ask in return is that you help me to hide and protect a certain artefact of great magical potency."

For the first time in his life Severus had the honour, no the privilege, of seeing Dumbledore truly furious. Magic crackled angrily about his form. The room seemed to darken and the simple livid expression he wore was very impressive. However . . . "My mother was far more intimidating when she lost her temper."

"Foolish boy!" he snapped harshly. "Do you have any idea what you have done!" Severus rolled his eyes.

"First of all I am anything but foolish. I never enter into anything without knowing exactly where it will get me, so yes. I do know what I've done. And secondly," he said with a raised eyebrow. "I haven't been a boy for quite some time. My rather wonderful family situation forced me to grow up quite quickly.

"So do you accept my offer? Or do I need to flee the country quite rapidly? Which I will if I've no reason to stay and pay attention to the hot air that He Who Is A Pillock vastly enjoys inflicting upon his pathetic followers." His voice was heavily laden with bitter sarcasm and vastly lacking in any form of respect. Mainly because he only had respect for his dearly departed mother, Eri, and the soon to be conceived Lady Raven.

Dumbledore stared at the defiant youth before him, spasmodically changing between fury, indignation and something mildly more positive yet indefinable. At last his shoulders slumped, a sign he was ready to at least listen.

"And what is that artefact?" The smirk on Severus' lips widened slightly.

"The mirror of Erised."

* * *

He could not believe it. He had to be dreaming. Hallucinating. There among the first years, on their way to be sorted. He should have known she would be here soon, but with not being able to see Eri for so long it had slipped deeper into his mind, hidden. Now at the age of twenty nine Severus was watching the girl he had been waiting for since he was seven years old.

"Granger, Hermione," called out McGonagall.

The girl he had been watching stepped forward, her image changing every time he blinked. Her normal image was that of a fairly pretty girl with uncontrollable bushy brown hair, large front teeth and hazel doe eyes that were full of nerves. She stood proudly, her chin up. But that of the young Lady Raven was slightly shorter, much paler, with long ebony hair and dazzlingly innocent emerald green eyes. Her lips were a darker red that most,nearly the colour of blood. She almost looked boyish and had it not been for her long, curved eyelashes and the grace she was developing in her movements she could have easily been mistaken as such. Her pace was fast, making it look as though she was almost running, but he could tell from subtle signs in her body language that the pace she choose was actually the one she was most comfortable with.

She took a seat upon the stool, her back straight and so proud she was almost arrogant. The hat was placed on her head. _Please Slytherin. Please. Or at least not Gryffindor, _was his silent plea. Unfortunately, like all silent prayers, it was whole heartedly ignored.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Oh bollocks," he muttered under his breath as the Gryffindor table cheered and clapped, not quite as enthusiastically as he would have liked though. But who could blame them. They could not exactly know that they had just gained a reincarnated Queen for their house. Nor could they know that she was once the most powerful sorceress the world had ever seen, and that she would most likely achieve that goal again in this life.

* * *

Pain screamed through his flesh. His very senses were torn asunder. A woman screamed in his mind. "Eri," escaped his lips. Fire flashed within his veins. knives ripped his skin to shreds. Oh Merlin, give him the Cruciatious over this.

Then it was gone.

He found he was lying on the floor of his office, his limbs still twitching slightly. But his thoughts were not of his own well fare. Erised was the only thing in his mind.

Shakily he forced himself to his feet as her heard her sobbing as a faint whisper in his mind. With his pride the only thing keeping him steady, he rushed towards where he felt the mirror was. He knew it was in the castle. It had been brought here to keep it safe from a new threat, but it seemed that threat had followed it.

Finally he reached the unused classroom he knew it would be in. Drawing his wand he threw open the door, only to see the only person he had trusted around the mirror with his own wand drawn.

"You fool! Do you have any idea what you could have done to her! How much pain you've caused her!" It was rare that he truly lost his temper, but if anything was guaranteed to evoke rage it was endangering Erised.

"What are you talking about? It's just a mirror."

"Just a mirror!" snapped Severus. "Can it be that the all knowing Albus Dumbledore requires a history lesson?" His voice had never been so silkily derisive, he even impressed himself. "The Mirror of Erised is what you see now. You see a reflection of your hearts greatest desire. I however, am a descendant of the night who was charged with its protection, so I see a dark viod or Erised."

"More than a simple descendant of a knight," came the voice of Erised from the mirror as she allowed herself to be seen by both men. "You are a knight." Her watery eyes turned to the pair, her body slumped in the fatigue that came after enduring unbelievable pain and her pale cheeks tear stained.

Dumbledore's eyes widened in shock at her appearance.

"Are you alright Eri?" She gave a brief nod before turning to the old man.

"Thousands of years ago I was trapped in this mirror for my crimes using a particular magical talent I had. The talent to see what desire truly lay at a person's heart. I would manipulate or drive them mad with such knowledge. Not for any real gain, simply for fun. I came to love my mistress as a pet may love their owner and now I await her return.

"Though I may be heartless I know what your war will do should it be reignited, I saw what it did to Severus and I do not want to see him have to go through that again. Had you simply asked, I would have agreed to guard your stone for you."

* * *

Dumbledore sat at his desk, sallow and looking queasy. He opened his mouth to speak several times, only to close it again. When he eventually found his voice, his speech was halting and shaky. "I don't believe you."

"Well, you should. I did tell you that the second I thought you were putting Erised in danger or trying to tap her strength I would look for an opportunity to dispose of you. This unbreakable vow was simply convenient. I really must remember to thank that insane wench before I kill her, when I get around to it."

"That mirror has poisoned your mind," he replied numbly.

"Well, that is what she does best. Though to be honest I'm not doing it for her. It's more personal satisfaction to be honest. You've tested my loyalty time and time again, using harsher and harsher methods. Where as He Who Is the Bane of My Life, has yet to test me at all. Isn't that a surprise? I think he actually understands that my loyalties do not lie within this bloody war," Severus said calmly. "To be honest I'm only still working for either of you because I have a reincarnated sorceress to protect, for all the good it does me."

"What have I done to deserve the promise of death?"

"What haven't you done? Do you realise how often I've had to move Eri because of you? And how venomous she's become because of your continued perusal of her power? No, you've done more than enough for me to warrant making that vow. Not to mention I know that Draco won't be able to do it and I know that if he fails without the saving grace of someone else killing you he will be killed. Strangely enough I actually care about the boy." He gave a satisfied smirk as he looked towards Dumbledore. "I assure you that I will remain loyal to the Order until I have fulfilled my vow. Good day Albus."

And with that he walked out of the office.

* * *

"Where is the mirror Severus?" hissed Voldemort close to his ear as he was restrained with the use of magic in the centre of the inner circle of Death Eaters.

"To coin a favourite muggle phrase of mine, go to hell," his voice was still sturdy and proud despite the severe beating he had received. He turned his head away and spat out the copery blood which had gathered in his mouth.

"How are you able to defeat your own vertirisium I wonder?" Severus raised an eyebrow.

"You really are quite an incompetent conqueror." Voldemorts lip curled at the comment, but surprisingly enough he ignored it.

"Where have you hidden Erised?"

"I haven't hidden her anywhere," he stated plainly. Oh dodging these questions was child's play. Had he not known what would be coming soon he would have taken some satisfaction in the fact that he was most likely grating on Voldemorts nerves more than Black had grated on his own (which was quite an impressive feat).

"Shall we help to loosen his tongue My Lord?" came the eager voice of Bellatrix, from the circle. Severus simply rolled his eyes. "It would be fun to make him think that he is in that Hell he so fond of."

"At least I can take some comfort in the fact that I won't be in the deepest circle, which is reserved solely for betrayers," he answered, turning his head to look at her with a sardonic expression. An expression which Voldemort took great notice of. His red serpant eyes blazed at the not to subtle insinuation. And he whipped his wand towards the woman, pronouncing those wonderfully fatal words.

"AVADA KEDAVERA!"

With a shrill scream and a garish flash of green Bellatrix fell back, dead.

"Thank you for that, you've saved me quite some effort later on in life. Though I admit it was surprisingly easy to manipulate you into killing your most faithful follower, absolutely insane, but utterly faithful."

As expected, torture beyond the limits of description followed his blatant insubordination. The only thing that kept him loyal, that kept him alive, was the image of the beautiful woman his Lady had grown to be.

* * *

With a gasp she fell from his mind. Many more of his memories still whirling through her mind and exhaustion flooding her body. She was so tired. She could hardly move. In her drained state, she collapsed to the potion Masters side,one leg and an arm still draped over him and she fell deeply asleep within seconds.

* * *

A/N Thank you to Lady Entity, reitashnehelena and KDarkMaiden for your reviews. They were most . . . entertaining.  



	4. Chapter 3: He Served His Lady Well

Chapter Three: He Served his Lady Well

Had it been a dream? That was the first thing he thought. Had he dreamt waking with Lady Raven holding him? Had he dreamt being cared for by her? The kind touches? The soft words? The warm spells? Had any of that been real? Then when he saw her asleep on a hard wooden chair a few feet away from his bed, he came to the mind boggling realisation that it had not been a dream. That it had been entirely real.

Then when he tried to move his hand to his face in order to bush away a stray hair he found that something else was reality as well. His hands were bound on either side of him. _How wonderful,_ he thought with bitter sarcasm. Apparently the Order, and possibly his Lady, did not trust him to roam free. Though Severus could hardly blame them, though he had thought that her explanation of why he had killed Dumbledore would at least convince them that he had no interest in harming any of them.

With a disgruntled sigh he lay back without even bothering to fight against his restraints. He'd be let up eventually. So, with little else to do, Severus turned his eyes to Lady Raven, to see how she had changed over the last four years. He blinked first, so that he was seeing her true form rather than her previous body, which was substantially shorter. But in this life she was of just above average height. Somewhere between that moment and the last time he saw her at Hogwarts she had somehow changed from a pretty girl, desperate to prove herself, into a rather beautiful woman who was obviously confident in herself and had no need to prove her worth to any one. Her wild brown hair had been tamed to a manageable level by cutting it to just above her jaw and it was now in subtle waves, burnished to a light bronze by the sun. Her eyelashes were long, dark and curved, more alluring than her previous form. Her face had a sort of deceptive innocence to it, paradoxically making her look both younger and older, more mature. Her skin was slightly tanned and her frame was quite lithe, with the exception of her not so modest bust. Due to the fact that she was sitting he could not see much of her figure however, but. . . No. Was that . . . ?

His eyes half closed as is consciousness sank to a more aware yet lethargic level. He had caught a glimpse of her aura and now he was curious. Light began to pour in to his sight. Then was cut off with the force of crashing into a wall, jarring him back on to the bad.

"It's very ill-mannered to be so nosey," she said softly and without reprimand. "You'll have to ask politely if you wan me to take down the wall I have around my aura. It would not do well for me to let the people I associate with to see what I'm made up of." She hadn't even opened her eyes.

"I'm sorry my Lady," he replied. Causing her to sigh heavily and finally open her eyes, which he realised with something akin to shock, were almost golden and not the dull brown he had always assumed they were.

"I had hoped you would have regained your sanity this time."

"I assure you I have; it's just that to me you are not Hermione Granger, the gifted muggleborn." She raised an eyebrow at his words, obviously and understandably sceptical. "You're Lady Raven. The reincarnation of a powerful witch Queen that my ancestor served and I have sworn to protect. You've seen that. Or did I waste my time and my privacy by allowing you into my memories?" She chuckled quietly, smiling to herself and shaking her head, almost fondly.

"At last, you're acting like yourself. I was getting worried by your pleasant demeanour. Not at all what I'm used to."

Out of habit he rolled his eyes and stared at the ceiling. Then at hearing her stand he looked over to the young woman as she walked towards him. "I don't particularly care what anyone says," she said amiably, reaching for the leather bands that held him down. "I'm sick of seeing you tied to my bed."

"I'm sure you are," Severus said silkily with a sly smirk. If she wanted him to act normally around her, then so be it. "It must be a terrible temptation for you."

"You obviously haven't seen the state you're in," she shot back quickly, unfastening the first strap, causing the other three to undo of their own accord. Severus pushed to sitting up, and then rubbed at his wrists gratefully.

His eyes widened in surprise as he saw she was holding his wand out to him. How she had gotten it he had no idea, but he was almost certain that he had not had it with him when he managed to escape Voldemort.

"Are you sure it's wise to give that back to me, the repercussions from the Order may be quite harsh. I've come to understand that over the last few years they have become little better than the Death Eaters themselves."

"I've already told you, I don't particularly care. I've proven time and time again that they're pathetic but they never listen. So if they complain I'll simply give them a taste of their own medicine," she told him defiantly. Almost reluctantly, he took his wand from her.

"Thank you."

"Now into the bathroom and clean up. As I said, being tied to a bed for a few days hasn't agreed with you. The bathroom's just opposite here."

"Yes mother," he said with a sarcastic note to his voice as he shakily got to his feet. Why he was taking orders from her he had no idea. After all she hadn't accepted his vow yet.

It took him a moment to regain his posture and stay steady on his feet under the concerned watch of Lady Raven. He blinked again so that he was seeing her real form and found it odd to see her looking at him so. During her time at Hogwarts she had looked upon him with little else but fear or disdainful respect.

"Do you need a hand? Or are you stubborn enough to manage?" A sardonic expression was his only reply as he proudly stumbled out of the room.

The bathroom was small, but very clean. It seemed that Molly was still as house proud as ever as he highly doubted that any of the Order or her children would lend a hand in the cleaning. Then again when he had offered to help her with the cooking once before, she had given him an ear full, and then complained that he was too fussy when he informed her that he was a vegetarian.

He was quick but thorough in his ministrations, cleaning and repairing what he could of his robes with the use of magic. Having discovered that his Lady had been quite right in her scrutiny of him, he turned to checking the state of his clothing. Unfortunately only his shirt (now crisp and white again), trousers (no longer coated in blood or tattered) and his underwear were not beyond repair. To try back his shoulder length hair, as had become his customer in the last year or so, he tore a strip from his ruined outer robes and transfigured it into black ribbon.

After tying back his now clean hair, he left the bathroom to return to Lady Raven. Only to find her arguing with Ginny Weasly, Molly's youngest and only daughter.

"Hermione! Are you insane! Harry's going to flip his lid when he finds out you've given him his wand back. It was bad enough trying to convince him not to kill Snape when he first showed up!"

"Harry is spoilt little brat who needs to learn that the world does not bow to his every pathetic whim-" Leaning casually against the door frame, Severus cut her off by loudly clearing his throat. It was nice to see that she had finally come to her senses regarding Potter. Both angry females shot him a glare then continued on with their argument.

"You said yourself, Snape's off his rocker! It's not safe to let him wander around of own accord!" Ginny insisted.

"I'm standing right here," pronounced the man in question. It was a good job he had just woken up or he would have had the energy to be angry at the girl. "Could you at least attempt discretion?" Unfortunately the argument carried on without them even heeding his presence.

"I'm fairly certain he's got the vast majority of his sanity back. Perhaps even all of it. He doesn't need to be restrained! It wasn't even a dangerous form of psychosis to begin with, so I don't know why you all insisted that I tied him to my bed any way!" This would have been entertaining had they been arguing over someone else.

"You know full well that it was to protect the Order. In case he attacked Harry or someone!"

"For Merlin's sake. How many times do I have to say I couldn't give a shit about the sodding Order or Harry pain in the arse Potter!"

What stunned the red head into silence was that the outburst had not come from the former Hogwarts Professor. It had come from Hermione. Even Severus found himself short of scathing remarks, and simply looked on in astonishment. What had they done to his Lady to bring this out in her? At last the young Weasly found her voice and asked the heavily breathing Hermione the very question that had been on his mind.

"What happened to make you like this?" Furious fire suddenly rushed into the eyes of Lady Raven, showing that it was obviously something that Ginny should have known. She quickly leaned close to the other young woman's face, her stance intimidating to say the least, and hissed her answer just loud enough so that Severus heard her as well.

"Your brother raping my mind, made me like this."

She stormed out of the room, roughly shoving past him in the progress. Severus turned his eyes to the stunned witch in the centre of his Lady's bedroom. Her mouth was moving yet no sound came forth and Severus found his eyes narrowing in disgust.

"The Order routinely breaks into the only real sanctuary that people have? Even Voldemort does not sink to such a level of savagery," he spat before turning on his heel to go after Lady Raven. No doubt she had kept such a trauma to herself since her initiation into the Order. Even the thought disgusted him.

So this was what became of the wizarding worlds freedom fighters when they were given too free a reign.

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A/N Shall I let you in aon a secret? It takes me a lot longer to write a chapter than it does for you to review it. So when you look at the review buton and think "I can't be bothered to review" remember that it took me a couple of hours to write this for you people and it only take a couple of minutes, if that, to send a review.

On a nicer note, thank you to KDarkMaiden and reitashnehelena for your reviews. They are much apriciated.


	5. Chapter 5: The Darkness In Her He Did Qu

Chapter Four: The Darkness in Her He Did Quell

His Lady was outside when he found her, sitting on the slight hill a five minute walk from the house it's self, watching the sun set. She had pulled her knees to her chest and her expression was a perfect picture of a blank canvas. Never before had Severus seen her like this and he hoped never to see it again.

As a deeply private man seeing such a display of obvious anguish was something he always felt should never be seen by any one else. As was the case with a great many of emotions, in case they could be used against him or were seen as a weakness. But he knew that was not the case with this woman, or at least it hadn't been when he had known her more than he did now. She had always worn her emotions on her sleeve. But now he was not so sure.

"My Lady," he queried softly as he reached her side. She turned her eyes to him, by all accounts dead to the world. Gleaming a dull bronze rather than shining their golden hue.

"Hermione," she replied drably. "Call me Hermione."

"Very well," he replied hesitantly as he sat beside her on the ground.

Truth be told he had no idea what to say to her, or what to do to make her feel better, or lift her spirits for a short time. While he could quite easily, expertly he'd say, make someone feel utterly miserable, the reverse side of the coin had always been somewhat of a mystery to him. Feeling decidedly uncomfortable, but still wanting to help, Severus decided on a route he had seen many people use before him.

"You know it isn't wise to bottle things up, if you wish to talk about what happened to you . . ." he trailed off, feeling like a complete idiot. And the incredulous look Hermione was giving him wasn't helping matters. _Intelligent Severus, now she no doubt thinks that someone has performed a brain transplant on you._

Again they lapsed into uncomfortable silence. Severus not knowing what to say and Hermione apparently unwilling to say anything. He racked his brain for what he could do to improve her mood. Well, if she didn't want to pour her heart out to him perhaps he could distract her. But what with . . . Ahh, that could work.

"Once upon a time," he started. Watching from the corner of his eye as she turned her head to him, an utterly comical look of disbelief on her face. Not that he could blame her. He could hardly believe what he was saying. "There was a talented young girl named Perin. Her gift was trapping people in framed glass to make mirrors of great power that had no choice but to obey her command."

"You cannot be serious." Ignoring her, he continued.

"At first people thought she was mad when she talked about her mirrors. But as she grew older and learnt more of the ways of magic, namely the Dark Arts, which was actually almost everything at that point, that people began to fear her. Where ever she travelled a raven was seen before her. Earning her the name I call you by, Lady Raven. Her campaign to rule was over in less than two years. And it ended with her on the throne, where she took up her previous name. She reined for over fifty years, bringing magic to the masses and ruling kindly. She and the king she had forced to marry her had two children, a girl who she had to kill and a boy who fled the country with one of her mirrors and a sworn night when the people rebelled against her, but she stayed her ground and fought to the death. Even knowing she would pass into fable.

"Thousands of years and hundreds of lives later, she was reborn to a life when she would be called back to her kingdom to take the throne again." He turned his head to look at her, her eyes now fixed on him and a frown on her brow. A frown that suggested this history was a familiar one. "She was reborn as you. You are and will be Lady Raven. And I am the one to call you back to your kingdom."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"Well, if I'm not I must be mad. But since you're a Legimens you should be able to tell when someone is lying to you."

"That explains why your defences are down," she muttered with a shrug, looking off into the distance.

"Tell me more about these mirrors, please." Well, at least he had managed to distract her and get her interested in her previous life, though he could not let her fall too deeply into its clutches. It would prove to be quite dangerous to the world if she did.

"During her life she made hundreds of them, only to destroy most of them, deeming them as useless as they had been in person. By the end she had thirteen. Erised being one of her most potent. I'm not sure what the others do. I didn't dare look into them to find out. Especially since Eri had told me that some of them were even worse than her for being deceitful and attempting to drive people mad."

"You've seen them?" she asked almost enthusiastically?

"Yes, when I was taking Eri back to the castle she came from so no one could find her. I stayed well away from them though. I dread to think what some of them are like if even Eri warned me off when her favourite hobby is driving people mad by taunting them with their hearts desire."

"Thirteen," her voice sounded oddly hazed, confused almost. "To See, to Scorn, to Search, to Remember, to Fear, to Heal, to Change, to Poison, to Dream, to Desire, to Disillusion, to Know, to Live." His eyebrows rose, how the hell did she know that? Before he could ask, she shook her head and spoke again.

"Where do you fit in?"

"Ah, well," he gave her a brief nervous smile. There was no way she would believe in his sanity after this. "I'm the descendant of the Knight who was sent to guard Erised as she helped the prince to survive living amongst the average people of the land."

"Then who is his descendant?"

"Potter knowing my luck," he replied with a derisive sneer. "I only know that a spell you cast in your life as Lady Raven will mean that they will have quite vivid green eyes."

"Gods I hope not," she murmured, sounding exasperated. "Where is this castle?"

With a sigh and an odd spring in his step, Severus jumped to his feet. There was a slight smirk on his lips as he searched for that little tug on his heart that directed him to Eri. Then finally he pointed just left of her shoulder,

"That way," he replied.

"That way?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes, that way." She was smiling herself now.

"How far that way?" His own smile faded. That was a difficult one to answer.

"Ahh," he said awkwardly after taking a deep breath. Then he added, just as awkwardly, "Deepest, darkest, magically sealed off heart of Germany that way."

His Lady actually laughed at that, letting her head fall into her hands.

"Remind me never to ask you for directions again," she chuckled. At last, she was acting more like herself. And he was the reason she was laughing, which was bizarre. He was used to receiving angry glares and snide insults, not laughter. It was an odd feeling. One he wasn't entirely sure whether he liked or not. "Though Germany makes sense I suppose. It is where most fairy tales originate from. I'd like to go there, if that's alright." Now she was getting curious. That was good. Not only did it lift her spirit, it served his own, much older, purpose.

"Very well. Though I'll have to lead the way. You wouldn't be able to get through the barrier if I didn't show you how." A brusque nod was her only reply to that. She didn't seem bothered by that fact in the slightest. Then she bit her lip and looked in the direction he had pointed.

"Do you ever feel like you are exactly where you are supposed to be, when you are meant to be there?" Her voice was distant, somehow misty to his ears. Then he realised, there had been an echo, and the echo was deeper, more derisive. Lady Ravens voice.

"No," he replied honestly, but he knew the feeling she was talking about. "We should set off after eating. The castle will provide whatever we need when we get there."

"I know," She turned back to him, smiling again. But there was an odd twist to her lips that he was sure had never been there before. "The less time I spend in the company of these idiots the better."

Standing before her, Severus offered her his hand. She took it and gracefully rose to her feet. It was a shock to see that she almost the same height as him, with only an inch between them. In her previous life she had possessed the drive, desires and temperament of a cold conqueror, but never the look or presence of one. Now however, with her strong stature, level stare and imposing height she certainly had the look of a warrior. With a bow he hoped did not come across as mocking, he led her back to the Burrow.

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A/N Be warned, after this chapter things will be getting much darker and far more twisted. Oh, and Voldemort will be coming into it.

Thank you to Mirlanthiriel, reitashnehelena, Megan Consoer for taking the time to review.


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